Abscisic acid mediates the trade-off between growth and abiotic stress defense

Global climate change impacts the yield and quality of rice, thereby restricting the sustainable development of agriculture. When plants cope with environmental stress, the interaction among signal generation, perception, transmission, and defense signal networks jointly enhance their stress resistance. Abscisic acid (ABA), as a key plant hormone, plays an important role in coordinating plant growth and adaptation to environmental stress. This review discusses the regulatory mechanisms of ABA in the growth, development, and stress response of rice; analyses the related signaling pathways, gene expression regulation, and functional characteristics under different environments; and explores how ABA balances plant growth and stress response. The research reveals the balance mechanism of ABA in rice, providing a theoretical basis for the improvement of rice varieties and the formulation of efficient cultivation strategies.